Kiss of death
by Katie237
Summary: AU 3x07 ; After Caitlin used her ice kiss on Barry and Cisco knocked her out, it takes more than a little vibrating to get the speedster warmed up again. Hypothermia!Barry.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Welcome to my new short story! Consider it as a slight AU/Missing scene between the moment Caitlin tried to freeze Barry to death and the moment she wakes up in her cell.**

 **Still need to decide if I keep this as a one-shot or write a second chapter, we'll see!**

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''Start vibrating it will warm you up.'' Said Cisco, barely giving any look to his friend before running over to Caitlin.

His blood was still boiling with anger and disappointment after learning Barry's secret. Learning about Flashpoint was one thing, it angered him that Barry did something so selfish to save his own family, not caring about the possible consequences for the rest of the world, but it hadn't hit him that the consequences could hit so close to home. How was he supposed to get over that? How was he supposed to forget that his best friend was responsible for his brother's death?

He couldn't think about this right now, Caitlin was sick and she needed him. The engineer ran over to her motionless form.

''Caitlin?'' He vainly tried, turning her on her back.

His hand went behind the doctor's head, feeling the small bump starting to form. She was definitely going to feel that tomorrow. Just like he'll probably feel guilty for hurting her, but he couldn't afford to think about that right now. There was no time to waste while she was still unconscious and unable to hurt anyone, for now. As much as he hated the idea, the only solution, a temporary one, right now, was to get her back to S.T.A.R. Labs and lock her in the pipeline.

Getting the new version of power dampening cuffs that couldn't be taken off by the person wearing it, Cisco secured them around Caitlin's wrists. It annoyed him more than it should that Barry was still in the back, doing nothing instead of helping. Was the young man trying to make him ever angrier?

''You're gonna stay there all night or give me a hand?''

Barely turning his head, that's when Cisco noticed something wasn't right. Barry hadn't moved an inch on the asphalt, laying just as still as Killer Frost, head turned on the side, eyes closed.

''Barry?'' He tried again, jumping on his feet, barely stopping one second to make sure Caitlin was really out for the count before closing the remaining distance with the Flash. Despite all of his anger toward the hero, he didn't wished for his death, especially after all the things he said to him. How could he just ignored Barry, moved pass him without checking if he was ok? Now, the Flash had no visual sign he was even breathing. Unless it was just because of the darkness playing mind tricks.

Kneeling next to his friend, Cisco took the mask off to give him easier access to Barry's neck, pressing his fingers against it, his own heartbeat packing up the pace, fearing what he might find. The instant his fingers touched the frozen neck, he almost shy away from the contact. Nobody should ever feel this cold to the touch. Pressing his fingers to the hero's neck once more, Cisco felt a knot in his stomach as he first felt nothing to the touch.

''Barry, don't do this.''

Sensing his shaking hand, Vibe took a deep breath, forcing the movement to stop before pressing again.

''Thank God.'' He breathed out, finally sensing the slow, irregular and almost imperceptible pulse.

''How about you help me out a little, while our doctor is out cold too.'' He scoffed at himself. Cold? Pun unintended.

He took out his Vibe coat, putting it on his friend, taking a moment to check if Caitlin was still at the same place and unconscious. He wasn't going to be able to drag them both to S.T.A.R. Labs at the same time and on his own.

''Hang in there, I'm getting you help.'' He said out loud to both of his friends who couldn't hear him right now. It somehow made him feel a bit more in control of the situation, even it was just an illusion. With his nerves threatening to break, he started searching for his cell phone for a couple of seconds before realizing it was in his coat pocket. Reaching for the coat on the speedster's form with shaking hands, he almost dropped the device on the floor the moment he got it out.

Dialing as fast as he could, he's never been happier than the moment Joe answered, at the second ring:

''Joe!'' He exclaimed before the detective even had time to say a single word. ''We got Caitlin, but we need help, now. Come pick us up.''

''Wait, who's we? ''

''CaitlintriedtofreezeBarrytodeathandhesnotmovingand…''

''Slow down Cisco, can't understand a word you're saying.'' Interrupted Joe, his mind still trying to hear and process the bits of words he just heard. ''What are you saying about Barry? He's with you?''

Cisco took one deep breath before repeating it, way more slowly. * _Get a grip on yourself, man. Barry needs you right now. Caitlin needs you. They both do*_ he told himself and repeated it to get his mind to slow down enough to be understood.

''Yeah, he's here. But Caitlin froze him good, you need to come here. '' Even if his words were definitely coming out of his mouth at a way slower pace, Cisco couldn't stop his voice from shaking and his heart from racing.

''Alright, we're on our way.'' In the background Cisco could hear the car's engine starting. ''Where's Caitlin? She got away?''

''No, I knocked her out before she could…finished with Barry.''

While waiting for help to come, Cisco tried to keep an eye on both of his unconscious friends. Was this how slow time was passing for a speedster? Every second were passing at an agonizing pace as Vibe feared for the rest of what used to be his team, original Team Flash had seen better days. He was concerned Caitlin was going to wake up anytime soon, even if it was mostly unlikely considering the bump on her head and also feared Barry was going to get worse, the speedster still had to make any single sound or movement.

When the S.T.A.R. Labs van made a stop barely couple of feet away, he sighed in relief, getting up and waving, pointing, at the position of the two people lying motionless on the ground. Not that it was really doing any help, the occupants of the vehicle probably spotted the red pants on the ground long ago despite the coat covering most part of his upper body, but Cisco just needed to do _something_. Leaping out of the vehicle, Joe ran straight to his son's side.

''Barry! Oh god. Son, can you hear me?''

H.R. was walking up to Caitlin's form, wanting to help, but keeping a safe distance, not exactly eager to turn into a unconscious popsicle on the asphalt like Barry. Taking his eyes off the fallen speedster, he joined Wells to help him gather Caitlin's prone form and get her into the van as Joe was getting his own coat off, trying to add a second layer of warmth on the hero.

''Hang in there Barr, we'll take care of you.'' Without looking if anyone was around to help him, he gathered the young man into his arms and took him off the ground.

Barry was nowhere light, he had lots of muscles, but Joe wasn't going to complain as he gently put him into the van next to the doctor, glancing at her for a moment, scared she could attack his son once more.

''It's ok, I'll stay with them in the back.'' Quickly said Cisco, entering the back of the van, handing keys to HR. ''You can take my car to the lab.''

H.R. quickly took them and left without hesitation, clearly happy to have a reason to get in a safer position. The writer was barely out of the van that Joe was already back behind the wheel and pressing the accelerator.

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 **A/N: Leave a comment!**

 **Exclusive announcement; once I'm done with Never Alone (new and last chapter coming in the next week, stay tuned), I'll be picking up and finish When Fear Strikes, it's official now. So you can go check it out if you haven't yet and ignore the note saying I gave that story up cause it will change very soon, probably in early january.**


	2. Chapter 2

**HUGE thanks you RedQ for the medical informations, wouldn't be able to hurt Barry so much without you**

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Cisco grunted in an effort to keep his balance after another sharp turn almost send him and the precious cargo toward the van wall. Somehow, he managed to both keep his own balance and keep both of his companions in place, or at least as much as possible. Despite keeping most of his attention of them, he was still hearing the conversation Joe was having on the phone with daughter, which probably wasn't helping with the not-so-smooth driving.

''Iris?...Yeah we got her. Can you join us with stretchers?...Yeah, two, we're bringing back Caitlin and Barry...Calm down girl, they're both gonna be fine...We'll need to get a cell ready. ''

Spotting the case secured in the back of the van, Cisco suddenly remembered last year when he put it in there with Caitlin, just in case Captain Cold was going to escape Iron Height and get to drop on Barry. You can never be too prepared. Thanking the skies that it was still there a full year later, he struggled to close to it in the van's movement. Managing to go to the case and taking the heat blanket out, he went back to his frozen friend, taking the coats off of him, grazing the Flash's suit in his movement and realizing now just how cold the suit was too. He should've checked it first and take it off earlier. At this moment, Cisco badly wished that Caitlin was herself to help them; what if they couldn't warm Barry in time, with his body's temperature too low for his healing abilities to kick it?

At this very moment, Cisco couldn't even think about his brother, all he could focus on was that he couldn't lose Barry too. He couldn't lose him, especially since the last thing Cisco said to him was that he's done enough, violently pushing him in the cortex. Cisco never had the chance to fix what he wanted to fix with his brother and he'll regret it for the rest of his life. But now, this? Anger has been burning high toward Barry, no doubt, but there was still a part of him, deep down, that wanted to fix everything, a real important part who still cared deeply. The need to fix things would never be filled if Barry was to die right now, right there.

''Cisco, what do you need? '' Asked Joe from the driving seat, still holding the cell phone in his hand.

''We…we'll need…heat pads and…blankets, heat blankets… and- and…'' ' _You gotta help me here, Caitlin, please_ ' he silently added, glancing at the unconscious doctor. His mind was working at overspeed, trying to remember everything Caitlin taught him as he assisted her in taking care of their speedster friend. He definitely should've paid more attention when she tried preparing him in case of a Captain Cold attack.

''What about oxygen?'' Asked Joe, his own mind searching over all the first rescues formations he ever had as a cop.

''That's right! We'll need to give him moist oxygen as soon as we arrive. ''

He absently listened to Joe giving back the instructions to his daughter as he jumped into the task of taking his friend out of the top of the Flash's suit and let's just say it wasn't as easy as they tried to make it look in the movies. Barry's body wasn't really cooperative and being on the ground in a moving van wasn't exactly helping, nor the facts that Flash's limbs were all rigid due to the cold.

When the engineer finally managed to take the top of the suit and the gloves off, he winced at the view of the black, frozen fingers.

''Hang in there, man.'' He said, awkwardly placing the heat blanket on his friend, trying to insert in under the young man's back as another thought hit him.

 _*Oh damn, should've put the heat pads before the blanket*_

He couldn't help but feel like the worst doctor of all time right now; feverishly doing anything coming into his mind before thinking about it first to see if he wasn't forgetting something. The van stopped before the engineer even realized they had entered S.T.A.R. property, immobilizing themselves in the garage where Iris was waiting with two stretchers as requested. She didn't even bother to hold back the gasp of horror at the sight before her, taking him Barry's pale skin, blue lips and dark fingers.

Adrenaline kicked in as soon as Cisco jumped out of the van and saw everyone either fighting back panic or being too unconscious to do much of anything. It was only now that he realized the team was going to need a leader and he needed to take that position.

''Iris, Joe, can you get Barry to the medbay while I take Caitlin downstairs?'' He asked strongly, finally recovering the control of his voice for the time being, as he helped put his friends on the stretchers, glad the crash course Caitlin got him for this exact situation was coming back to his mind. ''As soon as you get him in the bed, take him out of the rest of the suit and start putting the heat pads on his chest, neck, armpits and groin, before wrapping him back in a heat blanket.''

Nodding, Iris started moving away with the stretcher transporting the Flash, stopping a second to look at Caitlin, feeling bad for not looking at her other friend.

''Go. Me and HR will take care of her.'' Firmly stated Cisco as he gestured to HR, who just immobilized Cisco's car behind the van, to join him.

Iris wasn't going to wait and ask for permission for a second time, she was gone in an instant, closely trailed by her dad, walking as fast as she could without disturbing the frozen speedster too much.

As soon as Cisco was done with putting Caitlin in the pipeline, he threw one glance over his shoulder and started jogging toward the cortex, towards his other friend in need. The only good side of this whole mess was that, at the moment, his mind was too preoccupied with Barry's condition to hit himself for hurting Caitlin. The guilt would probably come later, even if sending her flying meant saving Barry's life.

When he finally managed to join the rest of the team, it was to find out how much of an efficient team Iris and Joe had been. During the short amount of time it took to get Caitlin in her cell, the Wests managed to complete all the directives the engineer gave; Joe was finishing his task of wrapping the young man in his blanket while Iris was already moving up to the next task of bringing bowls of warm water to soak the hands in them, warming them up slowly but surely. While Barry wasn't exactly back to normal, he started to look better, a little less dead. With Cisco's help, they managed to hook the hero up to monitors to follow his vitals, put a mask connected to moist oxygen on his face and administered warm fluids.

Once everything was done, the team felt like the worst was behind them as they sat down, but they soon realized the worst was to wait and do nothing except monitor any changes. Sitting there and hoping definitely felt worse.

 *****FLASHFLASHFLASH*****

It took a full hour before the speedster's temperature decided to start its long ascension and another hour before the team could actually start to have visual signs that Barry was still with them as his breathing got stronger and tremors starting appearing and disappearing swiftly. Iris kept her boyfriend's hand in her own the whole time, every shaking was a bliss compare to the mortal stillness he was in when he was brought back to the lab. Frowning as she watched down on her watch, she noticed that Cisco's absence was taking way longer than what he told her.

''I'll be right back.'' She told the unconscious speedster before getting up, leaving Barry alone with Joe.

No matter how hard it was for her at the moment, she didn't even want to imagine how Joe was feeling right now, with both of his son and his doctor down for the count. Logic dictated the engineer was probably downstairs, but her instinct was telling her otherwise, her feet guided her to his workshop, where she found him, working silently on some tech.

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 **Leave a comment!**

 **Next chapter I'll post will probably be a new 'What it takes to be a hero', get ready.**


	3. Chapter 3

For a moment, she almost didn't go in, sensing his need to be alone, but decided against it.

''What are you doing? '' She asked, closing on him, both knowing the question was not in any way related to where the conversation was heading.

Cisco's shoulders tensed up, but he kept on working for a moment, until he realized the reporter wasn't going anywhere. Capitulating, he stopped what he was doing, his back still turned on her.

''How is he?''

''He's shivering badly right now, but dad says it's a good sign, sign he's warming up. He started mumbling a little in his sleep too. ''

''That's…good. And Caitlin?''

''Still out. ''

Moving forward, the journalist halved the distance separating her from her tech-enabled friend.

''What are you really doing here, Cisco? Why aren't you with your friends? Barry and Caitlin should wake up soon.''

Approaching the desk once more, just as Cisco started to turned the chair around the face her, she caught a glimpse of a picture on the desk, a picture of Dante. Oh. Now she understood. After what happened earlier, it seemed like what Killer Frost said and Cisco anger didn't exist anymore, lost in the urgency of the situation, but now that Barry was out of the danger zone, everything was sinking in.

''I just don't know what I'm going to say when Barry wakes up, when they both do. I almost lost both of my friends today.''

Lowering his head, he acted like he was scratching his nose, but Iris could clearly see the tears being wiped at the same time. The engineer wasn't the only one not knowing how to feel right now: as much as she just wanted everything to go back to normal and how bad her heart felt torn for seeing Barry so miserable earlier in the speed lab, she couldn't blame Cisco either. She didn't even want to put herself in his shoes and imagine that Flashpoint had caused Wally's death instead of Dante's.

''Cisco...''

He turned his back on her again, shoulders lowering, slightly shaking.

''I'm sorry.'' She simply said, walking away, unknowing what else to do or say.

 *****FLASHFLASHFLASH*****

By the time Iris came back, the frozen hero's temperature was up again, hitting 90 Fahrenheit (32 Celsius), slowly but surely leaving the hypothermia stage as his shivering kept on decreasing, in a good way this time. His powers might have been affected by the cold, but as his temperature was rising up, they were slowly coming back to help him recover faster than normal people. It still took another full hour before he was finally ready to come back to them, opening his eyes when Joe was back at Wally's bedside, leaving Iris all alone with him.

She observed with concern as confused eyes passed her quickly, Barry's head slowly turning around to look at the other side of the bed.

''Barry?'' She hesitantly called. ''Do you hear me?''

Barry's head slowly but surely turned back to her after a hesitation.

''I…r…is?'' He faintly said, between shivers, fighting some tremors. ''C-c-c-c-c-ol-d-d-d…'' He stuttered.

Iris smiled, relieved to see that his mind looked fine while she wrapped the blankets a bit tighter on the Flash. ''Do you remember what happened?'' She softly asked.

''Caitlin?''

For a moment, Iris wondered if he was asking about Caitlin's whereabouts or if she was the one who did this to him. Deciding it was the first option, she proceeded into filling the blanks.

''Cisco was able to stop her before she could kill you, she's locked down in the pipeline.''

Barry nodded sadly before scanning the room around him once more, looking for something specific, or someone maybe.

''Where's Cisco?'' He finally asked, his voice stronger, the shaking reduced.

''He's in his lab. '' She started uncomfortably, not really wanting to discuss it with Barry.

The pitiful look she got for an answer was all she needed to confirm that there was no more explanation required, they both knew why Cisco wasn't around.

''I'm sorry.'' She felt the need of adding. ''I tried talking to him.''

''S'ok. '' Barely awake for a couple of moments, Barry already pressed his palms against the mattress and pushed up in an effort to sit up, prompting Iris to jump on her feet and put her own hands on his shoulder to try and restrain him.

''Where do you think you're going?''

''Need…t-talk to Caitlin…make things r…ri..right.''

''You're still recovering, and she's still unconscious. It'll have to wait.''

Sighing, resigned, Barry let his adoptive sister guide him back onto the bed. To be honest, the physical restraints and the cold in his bones weren't the biggest reasons for his decision to stay right here, what weighted the most was the conviction that right now, he didn't have a clue what to do or say to either of his friends. Was he ever going to get Caitlin back? Was Cisco ever going to forgive him? He hoped it with every single of his molecules, but he couldn't see how he was going to be a strong enough leader and friend to accomplish that…

Maybe it was just fate, maybe he deserved everything that was happening. After all, he did caused it all.

 *****FLASHFLASHFLASH*****

It didn't take long after that for Barry to finally feel well and warm enough to get out of bed and back on his feet, just in time to join the whole team down as Caitlin was about to wake up.

At the end of what felt like the longest day he's ever gone through, Barry just felt the urgent need to have some time on his own, sitting in a chair behind the computers in the speed lab. Everything worked out at the end; Caitlin was back, Wally was alive and well, and a speedster none the less…well, everything except his relationship with Cisco. His mind kept on replaying the 3 months he got to live with his parents, torturing him with the fact that he didn't even search his friends during that period of time, not until Wally ended up in the trash. What kind of friend just forget about the people he supposedly cared about for so long? How could he change the timeline like that without thinking about the consequences of his actions on the people closest to him? Maybe he didn't deserve the friendship Caitlin and Cisco gave him, maybe he never did and his punishment was well-deserved.

His head went up when he heard footsteps entering the speed lab, looking up just in time to see Caitlin's figure appear, freezing in her steps.

''Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't think there was anyone here at this time. '' She said, hesitantly, looking ready to turn around in a second.

''It's ok, come in.'' He pushed the chair next to his away from the computer to leave enough place for a person to sit in it. After a hesitation, Caitlin closed the gap and took the seat in silence. The room was oozing with discomfort.

''Hey, you ok?'' Finally asked Barry to break the silence.

''I guess.'' Caitlin said pensively, looking down, before turning to her friend. ''Barry, I'm so sorry about what I said. '' Barry frowned at her, unsure what exactly she was talking about, she said many awful things tonight, not that he really blamed her for anything. ''For what I said about Dante.''

Oh, that. Turning his head around to look straight ahead, Barry sighed, making Caitlin's heart tighten at the sight, fearing he had resentment toward her for that.

''I was just so angry at you.'' She continued, desperate to explain herself. ''Just wanted vengeance for…''

''Caitlin.'' He interrupted her, turning his attention back to his friend. ''It's ok, it's not your fault, I'm not blaming you, I'm blaming myself. I started all of this when I went back in time. ''

What was she supposed to answer back? Technically, it was his fault, he took it upon himself to go back and save his own family, but even if he caused destruction around, there was no malignant intention behind it, no desire to hurt anyone.

''I should've said something …hell, I shouldn't have messed with time, that was stupid. '' He continued, beating himself up.

''You made a mistake, a massive one, but you can't blame yourself and beat yourself up for the rest of your life. You have to move on, we all do.'' As Barry nodded without conviction, she kept going. ''Bedside, we all decided, we didn't want to hear about our Flashpoint lives and the ones we had before that. It's not your fault for not telling us that Dante was alive before or that I didn't have powers or even Wally having powers in Flashpoint.''

A smile appeared at the corner of Barry's mouth, whether he believed it or not wasn't as important right now as the fact that Caitlin did believe in that. Her and Iris. That's what really mattered. Hopefully, one day, Cisco would believe it too.

''Thank you. '' He simply said, softly.

Caitlin smiled back, knowing the struggle inside the hero's head, knowing it would be a while before she could convince him, but being reconciled, not being all alone, was all they needed right now.

 **The End**

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 **A/N: Thanks for sticking 'til the end. Leave a comment and let me know what you thought of the last chapter.**

 **I'll be back on Friday with a new Wounds of the Soul chapter and I'll move on to What it takes to be a hero. Stay tuned.**


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